Why This Generation Needs To Cease Valuing Materialism Over Individuality

Why are we taught that having the most "things" will yield the most happiness? Obviously, this isn't true, as many fortunate people are severely unhappy. But, why is this? Why do we place such a high value on items? I mean, ultimately, they're just objects, after all.

Many American families are in competition with each another for who has the biggest and the best stuff.

Some may say, “Mrs. Lisa has a great job that pays six figures and her house is absolutely gorgeous.” Don't forget that we’re talking about what Lisa has in her possession, not who she is.

Automatically, some people may already like Lisa, just based on the depth of this information, which is indeed very, very shallow. She may be a great person, but why should this influence our perception of her?

I don't believe that it should matter what kind of house Lisa has or which car she drives. I wouldn’t want to be around a person who is heinous just because he or she has nice things.

It is torture to force yourself to continually interact with a person because you want to be around what he or she has.

Is it really worth it? Does it really matter? Why do we insist on caring so much about what other people have? Why don’t we care as much about the kind of people they are and whether they make us smile or laugh or take us on grand adventures?

If they can make us feel in a way that no one else can?

Many of us have become blinded by superficiality and a love of grandiose materialistic consumption. We use a person's possessions to qualify the kind person he or she may be.

Things like this shouldn't hold the weight they do, but unfortunately, in our consumption-driven society, that's how it goes.

We need to wake up and see the bigger picture. We need to see people for who they are rather than for the possessions they have.

A young woman could drive a $100,000 car and still have the absolute worst personality ever. Should we accept bad personalities if they have expensive cars?

I have had friends who say, "I like guys who drive big trucks." This comment possesses a blatant disregard for a person's true self and is solely centered upon a possessive drive for desirable objects. Do you see the twisted and vicious cycle?

So why do we care so much about what things people have? We have been taught and fed this information through mass media, commercials, games, movies, tv shows, magazines — you name it.

Possessions are inanimate objects that are mostly used to impress or satisfy a person's needs. Essentially, they have no positive (and hopefully, no negative) effects on a person's quality.

With or without things, you are still you. Sometimes, amassing items will lead to a change in personality because we tend to feel that our value as people grows exponentially when we add several items to our collections.

Let’s think for ourselves. Don’t let someone else think for you. Choose to believe or disregard that the items people possess make them more valuable. It is ultimately your choice, but you are missing out on the right people if you don’t.

Think about it: We were all born without a dime -- without cell phones, video games or million-dollar homes. We were butt naked and absolutely happy to be alive.

We need to head back to our grassroots to figure out who we really are, what we really value and stop letting society mold and shape us. Feed your mind and shape your own mold. Being like everyone else is no longer desirable.

Your differences are what make you beautiful, and you are way beyond valuing people, as well as yourself, solely based on possessions.